Aligning Culture Work to Your Strategic Business Plan | SHRM All Things Work [video]
All Things Work S2 Ep40 feat. ADVISA owner and CEO, Heather Haas
In this episode of SHRM’s All Things Work podcast, Heather Haas and Ann Sparaco discuss ADVISA’s proven recipe to help organizations thrive:
When clear and capable leaders create an intentional workplace culture that is directly aligned with the organization’s strategic goals, it accelerates the organization’s success.
From “reboarding” your team after major changes to using actionable people data as fuel for better decision-making, Heather offers practical, people-centered strategies for turning vision into velocity.
Five impactful takeaways from this episode:
1. Culture can’t be separate from strategy
Strategic goals often fail – not because they were flawed, but because the culture needed to execute them wasn’t in place. Aligning culture with business objectives creates speed to value. When values and behaviors reinforce strategic direction, execution becomes smoother, faster, and more scalable. Want your team to move quicker and smarter? Start by defining how people should show up to make strategy real.
2. Reboarding is critical in times of change
Organizations often onboard new hires with care, but forget to “reboard” existing employees after major changes. Reboarding is a powerful, practical way to reconnect individuals to their role, their manager, their team, and the culture—especially after a shift in direction. If you’re rolling out a new plan, don’t just tell people what’s changing. Sit down, ask questions, and realign expectations and support.
3. Emotional intelligence is more than a buzzword
In an era of rapid transformation and stress, emotional intelligence isn’t a soft skill – it’s a survival skill. Durable skills like empathy, self-awareness, and adaptability will become even more critical as AI and automation handle more technical tasks. If you want your managers to drive engagement, reduce burnout, and retain top talent, train them to lead with emotional intelligence.
4. People data should have a seat at the strategic table
Too many organizations obsess over financial metrics while neglecting equally vital people data. Every enterprise needs actionable insights into leadership behavior, engagement levels, and cultural health. Metrics like turnover and productivity are just the tip of the iceberg. Real progress starts when you understand why people stay, leave, or disengage. Strategic planning should include both the balance sheet and bench strength.
5. Leaders need to be led
Especially in today’s climate, many managers are undertrained, operating at capacity, or even burned out. They don’t need another generic leadership book. They need practical, aligned, organization-specific guidance. HR plays a crucial role in equipping leaders with the skills and mindsets needed to inspire, adapt, and drive results.
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Thank you to SHRM!
You can find the original posting of “All Things Work” Podcast S2 E40 here.